May District Newsletter

  A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary It is hard for me to believe that the 2025-2026 school year has come to an end. We had a fantastic school year with many achievements. We just celebrated the graduates of the class of 2026. 245 students graduated in this very talented class, and together they received $6,341,265 in post-secondary scholarship opportunities. While we will finalize these numbers in June, we anticipate 67% of the graduates will attend college, 8% will enter the workforce, 6% will enlist in the military to serve our country, 12% will pursue education in the trades, and about 7% will take a gap year as they figure out their future plans. We wish them all the best and they will forever be Aviators.   Strategic Plan Update At our May board meeting, the facilitator for our strategic plan gave an update on the plan’s progress to the Board of Education. The following details the high level of engagement we have had in the development of the plan: 2 SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) with administration and Board of Education 11 Focus groups (4 Student, 5 staff, 2 Parent/Community) 5 1:1 Interviews with community leaders 408 Parent and community survey responses 165 Staff survey responses From this tremendous amount of feedback came five themes centered around student learning, student school experience, staff excellence and support, facilities and financial stewardship, and communication. Below is a summary of the feedback received based on survey results that shaped the five most common themes: Student Learning, Achievement and Future Readiness Stakeholders affirm our strong academic foundations and quality learning opportunities Feedback points to continued growth in core academic skills and advanced learning Feedback desires more career connected pathways Student well-being Staff are seen as caring and student-centered Stakeholders value the District’s focus on safety, belonging and positive relationships Feedback points to continued growth in differentiated supports to help meet evolving student needs   Facilities, Safety, and Learning Environments Safe, updated learning environments are a clear community priority Facility needs are most pronounced at the elementary and intermediate levels Modern spaces support learning, accessibility, safety and community pride   Operational Systems and Transportation Transportation, traffic flow, and logistics emerged as areas for improvement Feedback suggests that stronger operational improvements would support students, families, and staff across buildings   Communication External Feedback points to the benefits of a proud, involved community with a strong local connection Greater transparency can deepen trust and strengthen shared understanding Expanded engagement with families and non-parent community members can help more stakeholders feel informed and included  Internal Feedback reflects appreciation for frequent information sharing Feedback suggests greater consistency across schools and departments is desired Feedback desires expanded two-way communication   Staff Professional Learning, Support and wellness Feedback suggests that staff are a core district strength, with deep commitment to student success Feedback highlights need for continued attention to staff well-being Feedback suggests targeting professional learning   Financial Stewardship Feedback suggests the district is recognized for fiscal responsibility and stability Stakeholders value clearer communication about funding and financial planning Feedback suggests a desire for more connections between financial decisions and district priorities   Culture, Climate and Student Experience Stakeholders enjoy the district’s family-oriented culture and sense of belonging Stakeholders value positive relationships that help students feel supported and connected Feedback suggests a desire to focus on discipline, consistency, and inclusive practices to strengthen the student experience   Program Balance, Innovation, and Opportunities Stakeholders value the District’s broad range of academic and extracurricular opportunities Feedback suggests a strong interest to expand innovative programs tied to career pathways and emerging career fields Feedback suggests increased recognition across students’ interests From these themes, the following Goals and Objectives have been identified (click here to see the DRAFT Goals and Objectives). These will be reviewed with the Board of Education at the June workshop. Then, we will share this with the entire community to ensure we are on the right track. Meanwhile we will be working on strategic initiatives, implementation, and progress monitoring tools for the first year of the plan. We anticipate presenting the final plan to the Board of Education for approval at the June 16 Business meeting. We will continue sharing updates as we move forward through the process.    I am very excited to begin the implementation of this plan. Our previous plan was a great success, and we look forward to finalizing this plan and beginning its implementation. This is an exciting time. As always, It’s a Great Time to be an Aviator!   This summer, I hope you and your families enjoy the rest and relaxation needed to refresh after a busy school year and are prepared for the school year ahead. Make memories, share joy and love with your families, friends, and loved ones. God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools   In Memoriam Beau Townsend 1941-2026 The Vandalia-Butler City School District extends our deepest sympathy to the family, friends, colleagues and all who knew Mr. Beau Townsend. Spanning five decades, his generosity and support of our school district and our community will forever be remembered.   What an amazing 2025-2026 school year! Enjoy this look back at our last month of school and the accomplishments of our students and staff. We hope you have a wonderful summer!   Class of 2026 Graduation Congratulations to our 245 graduates from the Class of 2026! We celebrated not only the end of this journey but the beginning of what comes next. Whether it's college or trade school, enlisting in the military, entering the workforce, or taking a gap year, we wish our Aviators the very best! A special congratulations goes out to our Valedictorian, Ava Sucher, and our Salutatorian, Rylan Dadey. Together, our graduates earned over $6.3 million in scholarship opportunities! We have two albums available for senior families to view: Senior Slideshow (shown during Superintendent O'Leary's speech) Commencement Candids Additionally, Easterling Studios, who took our official portraits during graduation, provided a link to view and purchase photos. Easterling Link   Class of 2038 Helke Early Learning Center students, families, and staff came together to celebrate a wonderful first year in our district and the journey ahead.   Meet Me at the 50 Last year, a new tradition began with Meet Me at the 50. We were excited to continue this tradition where seniors meet kindergartners at the 50 yard line. They spend time together and exchange small tokens symbolizing the beginning of the new class' journey in our District and the beginning of the graduating class' journey beyond our District. The video was first shared during Kindergarten graduation and then shared with our community. We would like to extend a special THANK YOU to Justin Spivey for capturing drone footage. Thank you as well to Mr. Tregoning, our kindergarten team, Mr. Williamson, our high school guidance department, and our transportation department. To view the video on our website, click here.   District Honors Retirees Congratulations to our 2026 retirees! Collectively, this group has dedicated over five hundred years of service to Vandalia-Butler City Schools. We are deeply grateful for their service, loyalty and the positive impact they have made on our students and families. We wish them a long, healthy and joyful retirement!   47th Annual Memorial Program We recently held the 47th annual Butler Memorial Program. The program honors fifteen men and one woman from our Vandalia-Butler community who lost their lives while serving our country. Thank you to all who attended. We appreciate Bob Dadey and our social studies department for carrying on this important tradition started by former Principal Harold Wherry.   Military Wall of Honor On May 15, we unveiled the brand new Military Wall of Honor. This patriotic display is located prominently in the Butler High School Alumni Atrium and will serve as a way to honor BHS veterans for many years to come. This project would not have been possible without the support of our local AMVETS, American Legion Post 668 Vandalia Ohio, and VFW. We are grateful for their partnership and support! We will continue to make updates annually. If you are a veteran who attended BHS and would like to participate, click here to visit our website for more information.   Rotary Club of Vandalia Donates Digital Display The District extends a huge THANK YOU to the Rotary Club of Vandalia for their donation of a new digital display in front of Butler High School. The new display, located on Dixie Drive, will serve the community well as we share school events and information.   Middle School Happenings Morton Middle School students Aela and Loralei presented Middle School Happenings during our regular Board of Education Meeting on May 19. Together, they highlighted: MVL Girls Track Champions; Boys MVL 3rd Place; State Qualifiers Band and choir performances Eighth grade end of year activities Seventh grade career day   Aviator Achievements: Academic Accomplishments Superintendent O'Leary and the Board of Education recognized Valedictorian Ava Sucher and Salutatorian Rylan Dadey for their academic excellence. Rylan will continue his academic (and athletic) career at Ohio Northern University and Ava will continue her academic career at the University of Dayton. Congratulations! Aviator Achievements: Athletic Accomplishments Superintendent O'Leary and the Board of Education recognized the following winter athletes for their outstanding efforts: Emma Dady-Girls Basketball; All-State Honorable Mention; Records for most rebounds in a game and most rebounds in a season. Julius Rush - Boys Basketball; Records for most steals in a season and most steals in a career. Jace Love - Wrestling; District champion; State qualifier; 4th place State finish. Austin Kuhns/Brodie Schlagetter/Brendan Swinderman/Alex Hale/Logan Bloemker - State qualifiers in the 200 medley relay; State finalist; Record for 200 medley relay. Lydia Knisley - Girls Swimmer of the Meet; Record for 100 yard freestyle. The following coaches were also recognized: Jeff Bardonaro - Girls Basketball District 9 Assistant Coach of the Year Molly Bardonaro - Girls Basketball 200 Career Wins   B.A.S.E. - Before and After School Experience B.A.S.E. is a program offered at Vandalia-Butler City Schools providing before and after school childcare for families of students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. If your family would like to participate in this service, please visit our website here for additional information. There is a form (linked on the website) to complete by June 15.   ParentSquare 26-27 Updates ParentSquare will "rollover" to the new 26-27 school year on June 18, 2026. At this time, student grade levels will reflect the correct grade and building for the new school year. If you notice any changes to your account or your communications stop, please reach out to Mary Stephens, PR/Communications Coordinator at mary.stephens@vbcsd.com for assistance. Class of 2026 - When the June rollover is complete, Class of 2026 graduates will be removed from our ParentSquare system.   2026-2027 School Calendar The 26-27 school year calendar was board-approved on February 17. To help our Class of 2027 with planning: 2027 GRADUATION May 23, 2027 2 p.m.   Kindergarten Enrollment Kindergarten enrollment began April 27 and will continue throughout the summer. All enrollments are online. Families are encouraged to complete the enrollment process as soon as possible. There is a new state law that was approved in December, 2025 that adjusts the age of students entering kindergarten for school districts. For Vandalia-Butler City Schools, students must be 5 as of September 15, 2026. Click here for KINDERGARTEN enrollment information.   Join Our ParentSquare Groups! VBCSD offers public and community groups with information available. Choose to join these groups to receive notifications when new updates are posted, or simply click on the group at any time to view the information. Community Events and Flyers Distribution of area events and flyers. Groups Available to Our Community Community Newsletter This newsletter is open to all community members and includes the same information sent monthly to VBCSD families. Vandalia-Butler Athletics This group is open to all community members and families of VBCSD and includes regular updates about athletic accomplishments and schedules. Vandalia-Butler Delays and Cancellations This is a new group for any community member to receive notifications when Vandalia-Butler is either closed or delayed due to weather or other circumstances that are not already part of our planned District calendar. Parents who currently have students in the District do not need to join this group, as they will continue receiving the information automatically; however, this would be beneficial for babysitters, grandparents, etc. who may care for students and do not have a ParentSquare account.   District Website Our District website is regularly updated with important information. Below are quick links: Board of Education Calendars District Website Food Service/Menus ParentSquare Information PaySchools Central PowerSchool Information Transportation   Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. May 21 | Last Day of School for Students May 22 | Staff Report Day May 25 | Memorial Day June 1 | Board of Education Work Session; 4:30 p.m. @ Board of Education Office June 16 | Regular Board of Education Meeting; 4:30 p.m. @ Board of Education Office   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Friday, May 29 2026

April District Newsletter

  A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary As we are getting closer to May and the homestretch to the end of the school year, I want to thank everyone for their efforts thus far and encourage everyone to stay focused for a great end to this school year! The finish line is in sight!  The following are a few important updates:   Strategic Plan Update I want to thank all of our staff and parents who completed the stakeholder surveys to provide input and direction for the development of our strategic plan. We received a lot of feedback, more than we have ever asked for in the development of a strategic plan. Our consultant is working with us to sift through the feedback, and we have begun our work on developing goals and objectives.  The following goal areas address the major themes from stakeholder feedback:   Student learning and achievement Student school experience  Staff excellence and support Facilities and financial stewardship Communications (Internal and external)   We are working with the consultant on developing the objectives for each goal area and will then move to developing strategic initiatives to support each goal area.     The tentative timeline is: End of May - Board review of Goals and Objectives; community feedback on Goals and Objectives  June - Board adoption of strategic plan   I will continue to update you on this process. As we head for the finish line, let’s compete well and finish the race!    Please read the rest of the newsletter to see some of the great student programs and activities we have in the District! God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools Superintendent O'Leary's K-9 Program Update Earlier this school year, I shared information about the concerning increase of drug use in teens and our response to employ the service of a drug K-9 this school year. As I shared with the community, in my first year as Superintendent, I handled 5 drug-related discipline incidents, all paraphernalia-related. Last year, my eighth year, I handled well over 30. The alarming trend was that students were bringing marijuana to school and attempting to use or actually using the drug at school.   Our efforts this school year, with increased vigilance and the use of the drug K-9, have been very successful. Up until two weeks before our spring break, I had 5 drug-related expulsion hearings. A HUGE improvement from last year. However, I feel parents should know that the two weeks before spring break and to date, I have had 7. That is two more than I had all year long up to two weeks before spring break.   I feel obligated to share this with you. I have learned that some students are buying drugs from people they find on Snapchat. They don’t know who they are; they reach out to them through Snap, meet, and buy drugs. Again, they don’t know these people; they don’t know their intentions; they don’t know what they are getting. This is alarming. I am informing you of this because I want you to be vigilant.    I also want to send the message: Violations of our drug policy result in suspensions with recommendations for expulsion. We will call the police, and charges will be filed. We work hard to provide a safe and healthy environment that is conducive to learning. Our efforts have been very successful this year. However, more work needs to be done, and I want to make sure you are aware of some of these trends so you can appropriately monitor your children and be aware of some of these disturbing trends.     Throughout our district, the race to the end of the school year is on! We are completing state testing, preparing for spring concerts, and student athletes are competing at a high level. Keep up the great work, Aviators! Prom 2026 Students had a great time at their disco-themed prom, and our community came out to watch our Aviators walk the red carpet. Our students were just as stunning as the sunset that accompanied them! Congratulations to our prom court students who were selected by their classmates: Reagan, Henna, Ava, Addison, Rylee, Laila, Troy, Abe, Jordan, Cory and Makai.   Afterprom Grand Prize THANK YOU to our parent volunteers for hosting afterprom! It was a huge success with record attendance. Congratulations to Jordan and Juliana for winning cash grand prizes donated by Beau Townsend Ford and community member Barbara Spurgeon totaling $5,500!   BHS + Prek Art Collab Our art students at BHS brought our preschool students' visions to life! Preschool students created rock mice, and our BHS students received their colorings and created custom mice for our morning preschool students. They went above and beyond by making a special trip to read to our students and deliver their creations.   Drone Technology & Design Great job to Mr. Hoover and seniors Carson and Gryffin! They gave a presentation and demonstration about our Drone Technology and Design Class during a recent Rotary Club of Vandalia meeting. The class is a great way to explore careers in engineering and drone technology. We especially enjoy anytime our students have the opportunity to showcase what they are learning and share their experiences with our community!   Purple Up! We celebrated our Purple Star students and military families with a district-wide spirit week. April is the Month of the Military Child, and April 15 is a day designated specifically to recognize military-connected children. We are proud to be a military family-friendly Purple Star district!   Industrial Technology Projects Earn State Recognition The Industrial Technology program entered several pieces in the 2026 OTEEA Project Show, a statewide competition for all industrial technology programs. Of all the schools, Butler High School placed 3rd in the state overall for their display. Individual award winners were: Evan W. - Overall 2nd place for all wood projects in the state; 1st place in the robotics category  Elena G. - 1st place in the advanced woods category; Overall 1st place in the graphic arts category  Tate R. - 1st place in the beginning woods category  Lucas A. - Overall 1st place for computer generated technology; Overall 2nd place for 3D printing category   Nodin W. - Overall 2nd place in the graphic arts category Manuel F. - 2nd place in technical drawings category  Brayden T. and Zane E. - 1st place in the residential wiring category  Brandon W. and Hayden V. - 1st place in the framing category  Gavin F. - 1st place in the plumbing category Sampson L. - 1st place in Architectural prototyping category Elena G. and Madison R. - 2nd place in the architectural prototyping category Madison R. - 2nd place in the architectural design category Congratulations to all our students and to instructor Mr. Ruxer!   Cinderella The Butler High School Drama Department Presents:  Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway Version) The Broadway adaptation of the classic musical featured new characters, a hilarious libretto, surprising twists, and an unforgettable score from Rodgers & Hammerstein. We are incredibly proud of the cast and the entire crew for their production of Cinderella! A special thank you to the Vandalia Lions Club, the Vandalia-Butler Optimist Club and the Rotary Club of Vandalia for sponsoring our spring musical. Director: Susan Robert; Assistant Director Skyla Gilmer Music Director: Kierstyn Ludlum Orchestra Director: Daniel Brinker   High School Happenings April Butler High School Happenings were presented by Audrey and Alyssa representing our Global Foods class and Evan representing our Industrial Arts program. They gave a great presentation to the Board on everything happening at Butler and showcased their baking and woodworking talents! Highlights included: Global Foods field trip to Jungle Jims and lessons on food from around the world Industrial Arts competition; Evan placed second in the state for his incredible RFID locking cabinet. The drama production of Cinderella Meet Me at the 50 with Seniors and Kindergartners   2026-2027 School Calendar The 26-27 school year calendar was board-approved on February 17. To help our Class of 2027 with planning: **2027 GRADUATION May 23, 2027 at 2 p.m.** Class of 2026 Graduation is May 17, 2026 at 2 p.m.   Kindergarten Enrollment Kindergarten enrollment opens April 27, 2026 Kindergarten enrollment will begin April 27. All enrollments are online. Families are encouraged to complete the enrollment process as soon as possible. There is a new state law that was approved in December, 2025 that adjusts the age of students entering kindergarten for school districts. For Vandalia-Butler City Schools, students must be 5 as of September 15, 2026. Click here for KINDERGARTEN enrollment information.   Join Our ParentSquare Groups! VBCSD offers public and community groups with information available. Choose to join these groups to receive notifications when new updates are posted, or simply click on the group at any time to view the information. Community Events and Flyers Distribution of area events and flyers. Groups Available to Our Community Community Newsletter This newsletter is open to all community members and includes the same information sent monthly to VBCSD families. Vandalia-Butler Athletics This group is open to all community members and families of VBCSD and includes regular updates about athletic accomplishments and schedules. Vandalia-Butler Delays and Cancellations This is a new group for any community member to receive notifications when Vandalia-Butler is either closed or delayed due to weather or other circumstances that are not already part of our planned District calendar. Parents who currently have students in the District do not need to join this group, as they will continue receiving the information automatically; however, this would be beneficial for babysitters, grandparents, etc. who may care for students and do not have a ParentSquare account.   District Website Our District website is regularly updated with important information. Below are quick links: Board of Education Calendars District Website Food Service/Menus ParentSquare Information PaySchools Central PowerSchool Information Transportation   Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. April 27 | Kindergarten Registration Opens May 9 | Under the Dome Planetarium Show; 7 p.m. @ Smith Intermediate School May 15 | BHS Memorial Program; 1:30 p.m. @ BHS Student Activity Center May 17 | GRADUATION; 2 p.m. @ BHS Student Activity Center May 21 | District 2-Hour Early Release; Last Day of School for Students   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Tuesday, Apr 28 2026

March District Newsletter

  A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary Update on Strategic Plan I want to thank all of our staff and families who completed the surveys as part of the strategic plan process. Additionally, we have completed staff, student, community leader, and parent focus groups. The next steps will be to sift through all of this feedback with our facilitator, the Impact Group, to identify major areas of focus for goals and action steps, timelines, etc. This is the most feedback we have ever sought in the development of a strategic plan. We feel strongly that getting feedback from so many stakeholders will help us develop a plan that improves our current needs and will allow opportunities for our students to soar now and into the future. Our goal is to have a draft of the plan for community review and feedback at the end of the school year with the hopes to have the plan approved by the Board in June. I will continue to give monthly updates on the development of the plan.    The beginning of the end of the year…. Spring is here! And with that, the sprint to the finish line has begun. The fourth quarter is now upon us, and the end of the year will quickly approach. Thank you to our students, parents, and our entire staff for all the hard work it’s taken to make this a great school year so far. Let’s work together to end with strong accomplishments.    As spring break is quickly approaching, I wish you and your families a relaxing, enjoyable, and hopefully warm and sunny break! God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools   The fourth and final quarter of the year is here! Enjoy the last quarter and finish strong! Business Partner of the Year Congratulations to Hayslett Construction, LLC for earning the District's Business Partner of the Year Award! The team joined us during our March 17 Board of Education meeting to accept their award and were commended for the work they do and the support they provide to our District.   Smith Grants Special Wishes Smith Intermediate School donated nearly $7,000 to a Special Wish Foundation in Dayton! Funds were raised through several initiatives including Penny Wars, Dinner with Santa and the recent Read-A-Thon. For nearly forty years, Smith has helped grant wishes for local children. It is through the generosity of our families, staff and local supporters that this is all possible!   Youth in Government Day Butler High School students participated in a decades-long tradition in our district - Youth in Government Day. Students spent the day out in our community shadowing leaders from Butler Township, the City of Vandalia, and Vandalia-Butler City Schools. The conversations were impactful, and it was a great day of learning what public service looks like at the local level. Thank you to the Vandalia-Butler Optimist Club for hosting the event, our local credit unions for sponsoring lunch, and Butler teacher Rachel Gillum for coordinating with our students.   State Wrestling Congratulations to Jace Love for qualifying and placing 4th at the OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament!   State Swimming Congratulations to Brodie, Brendan, Alex, and Austin for qualifying for the OHSAA State Swimming Championship!   High School Happenings Butler High School Happenings were presented by Olivia and Emma. They gave a great presentation to the Board on everything happening at Butler. Some highlights included: JCOWA club and their latest top ten finish in the Quiz Bowl Band and Choir scoring an excellent rating at OMEA Marching Band halftime show reveal excitement Octagon Club food drive NHS pen pals with third graders Juniors who took the ACT test recently   Elevate the Arts Show Mark your calendars for our 14th annual Elevate the Arts show! The show will feature artwork from students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. All families are welcome to attend! Thursday, April 9 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Morton Middle School   Calling all BHS Veterans! Military Wall of Honor Project We have an exciting project that we are working on at Butler High School to honor Butler High School alumni who served in the military. With the generous support of our local American Legion Post 668, AMVETS and VFW, we are able to not only have a new patriotic display of appreciation at Butler High School, but we are also able to fund it without using tax dollars. If you would like to be included or if you would like to request the name of a family member to be included on our new Military Wall of Honor boards, please CLICK HERE to learn more and to complete the request form. The application will remain open, and after the initial installation, we will add additional names to the boards annually. Below is a depiction of what the project will look like. We are hopeful for a May, 2026 installation.   Purple Up! for Military Children Join us in participating in our annual District-wide military and military children appreciation week April 13-17!   2026-2027 School Calendar The 26-27 school year calendar was board-approved on February 17. To help our Class of 2027 with planning: 2027 GRADUATION May 16, 2027 at 2 p.m. Class of 2026 Graduation is May 17, 2026 at 2 p.m.   Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment Preschool and kindergarten enrollment is right around the corner! Preschool enrollment opens April 1, 2026 Kindergarten enrollment opens April 27, 2026 All enrollments are online. For preschool, the enrollment portal will open at 8 a.m. on April 1. Students age 4+ are given priority and all remaining spots for students 3+ will be assigned based on the timestamped enrollment. For PRESCHOOL enrollment information, click here. Kindergarten enrollment will begin April 27. All enrollments are online. Families are encouraged to complete the enrollment process as soon as possible after the portal opens. There is a new state law that was approved in December, 2025 that determines the age of students entering kindergarten for school districts. For Vandalia-Butler City Schools, students must be 5 as of September 15, 2026. Click here for KINDERGARTEN enrollment information.   Transportation Lost & Found The transportation department has many items in their lost and found. To claim your items, families may contact the transportation department by calling 937-415-6691 or stop by Monday-Friday between 6 a.m.-4 p.m. The transportation department is located behind Morton Middle School. All items will be donated at the end of the day on Friday, March 27.   Join Our ParentSquare Groups! VBCSD offers public and community groups with information available. Choose to join these groups to receive notifications when new updates are posted, or simply click on the group at any time to view the information. Community Events and Flyers Distribution of area events and flyers. Groups Available to Our Community Community Newsletter This newsletter is open to all community members and includes the same information sent monthly to VBCSD families. Vandalia-Butler Athletics This group is open to all community members and families of VBCSD and includes regular updates about athletic accomplishments and schedules. *NEW* Vandalia-Butler Delays and Cancellations This is a new group for any community member to receive notifications when Vandalia-Butler is either closed or delayed due to weather or other circumstances that are not already part of our planned District calendar. Parents who currently have students in the District do not need to join this group, as they will continue receiving the information automatically; however, this would be beneficial for babysitters, grandparents, etc. who may care for students and do not have a ParentSquare account.   District Website Our District website is regularly updated with important information. Below are quick links: Board of Education Calendars District Website Food Service/Menus ParentSquare Information PaySchools Central PowerSchool Information Transportation   Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. March 30-April 3 | Spring Break April 1 | Preschool Registration April 9 | Elevate the Arts K-8 Art Show | 6-7:30 p.m. @ Morton April 11 | Under the Dome Planetarium Show; 7 p.m. @ Smith April 21 | Board of Education Regular Meeting; 5:30 p.m. @ BOE Office April 24-26 | CINDERELLA Spring Musical - More details coming soon! April 27 | Kindergarten Registration GRADUATION | May 17; 2 p.m. @ Student Activity Center   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Monday, Mar 23 2026

February District Newsletter

  A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary Last month I shared information about the enrollment study the District is using as data for the strategic plan process. This month I am going to share the facilities assessment the District has completed for additional data to also help inform the strategic plan process.    Our District consists of five school buildings, a transportation/maintenance facility, and the Board of Education office. Altogether, these buildings have a combined 535,000 square feet and sit on over 150 acres of land. Our oldest school building is Demmitt, which was built in 1957. Our next oldest buildings are Smith (built in 1969) and Helke (built in 1970). It is probably hard for most people to believe, but our newest buildings, Morton Middle School (built in 2012) and the renovations at Butler High School (2011) are both around 15 years old already.    As a strategic initiative of our previous strategic plan, the District was engaged in an educational visioning process which consisted of a community and staff steering committee for educational visioning and a community and staff steering committee for how facilities could support the educational mission of the District. As part of that process there was even a community survey that was done indicating strong support for new facilities. As the visioning process was concluding and final recommendations were being made, COVID hit. Then, we as a District fought for two years to focus all of our attention on keeping our students in in-person learning and normal activities. Since then, our focus has been working through the funding problems we continue to face as the State continues to underfund our District, which led to millions of dollars of cost saving measures, including reconfiguring the grade levels at Smith, Demmitt and Helke, which was the second reconfiguration the District has had to make in less than 15 years.   Writing all of this reminds me of why my hair is much grayer than it was those 7 years ago when we were engaged in the educational visioning process; we have worked through so much adversity. It also highlights why facilities are such a big focus area of this strategic plan process. Our buildings are that much older since we engaged in the previous process.     The facilities assessment was facilitated by a contracted vendor who worked with other contractors in skilled trades to survey all of our buildings in all areas as listed on the overview below. The total projected facility capital needs over the next eight years is $44,857,644. Yes, that’s a lot of money, and making my hair grayer! The cost is to take care of 535,000 square feet of building roofing, HVAC, mechanical systems and the over 120 acres of sitework, etc. Surely, we do not have to complete all of that work in the next eight years as listed. Some of that work could be delayed. But a lot of that work will not be able to be delayed. Please understand, the assessment overview you see below is not a plan, it is data. The plan to address these needs will be created through the strategic plan, and what will help develop this strategic plan will be the feedback we receive from our stakeholders.  This week, a link to a survey will be released through ParentSquare and other outlets trying to get as much feedback from parents, staff and the community as possible. The survey will seek input on academics, extracurricular activities, facilities, and finance. Your input will help inform the strategic initiatives of the District and how the District will move forward into the future, including how we will address our facilities.    We look forward to hearing from you. I will continue to use this column to give updates to our families and community on the progress of the strategic plan. God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools   Winter sports are winding down, tournament time is beginning and we are just a few short weeks away from the last quarter of the school year! Here is a look at what has been happening throughout our District this month!   Rising Entrepreneurs! Students in Mrs. Jette and Ms. McGowan's classes learned real-world skills with a tasty Valentine's Day project! They teamed up with Kathy's Cakery & Treats, where they prepared custom orders, decorated cupcakes, packaged, and then delivered orders just in time for Valentine's Day. Over 80 dozen cupcakes were delivered!   Butler Baseball Players Spread Cheer Butler Baseball players visited StoryPoint Tipp City assisted living facility where they delivered flowers and visited with residents.   Octagon Club Helps Animal Shelter Butler's Octagon Club members gathered to create twelve handmade pet blankets that were donated to a local animal shelter.   200 Wins! Congratulations to head girls' varsity basketball coach Molly Bardonaro on achieving 200 career wins! Coach Bardonaro was recognized for this milestone during our recent home game on February 17 and was joined by her family and coaching staff.   Aviator Achievements During the February 17 Board of Education meeting, we recognized several students, staff and coaches for their accomplishments. Performing Arts  Daniel Brinker Recognized by the Saluting America's Band Directors Association and his collaborative efforts with the high school woodwind band ensemble and the eighth grade band during our Veteran's Day assembly. Mr. Brinker was also praised for his tremendous work as the Butler Band Director.   MVL Athletes of the Year Samantha Rosenkranz- Girls Soccer, Central All Region Team and All-Ohio Team Cecelia Campbell-Girls Cross Country Riley Seibert-Varsity Football, 1st Team All-State Linebacker   Qualified for State-Cross Country Jack Rosson, Academic All-Ohio Rylan Dadey, Academic All-Ohio Cecelia Campbell, Academic All-Ohio   Player of the Year-District Honor/Most Digs-Record Holder Laila Neely-Volleyball   Coaches Honors Lindsey Suess-MVL Volleyball Coach of the Year   Daniel Pierron-MVSSCA Soccer Assistant Coach of the Year Not Pictured: Regina Kellar Demmitt Elementary Staff Member who assisted a student with a medical need.   Havailah Demmitt student who alerted staff of student experiencing a medical situation.   Ashleeona Demmitt student who alerted staff of student experiencing a medical situation.   Kirstyn Stapleton Recognized by the Saluting America's Band Directors Association and performed in the Rose Parade. Mrs. Stapleton also received recognition by the SABDA for a collaborative performance between the high school woodwind band ensemble and the eighth grade band during our Veteran's Day assembly.     High School & Middle School Happenings Butler High School Happenings were presented by Ava and she recounted several initiatives mentioned throughout this newsletter. She also spoke about the Butler Choir's New York City trip and our upcoming spring musical, Cinderella. Morton Middle School Happenings were presented by Nathaniel (Nate), Emmanuel, and Alliyah. The group talked about the peer tutor program, volunteering with Shoes For the Shoeless, the Odyssey group and winter athletic highlights, which included a recent victory for the wrestling team. They were also quick to speak their praises for our recent snow days!   2026-2027 School Calendar The 26-27 school year calendar was board-approved on February 17. Attached to this newsletter is a printable version, and a photo is attached below. To help our Class of 2027 with planning: 2027 GRADUATION May 16, 2027 (Time TBD) Class of 2026 Graduation is May 17, 2026 at 2 p.m.   Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment Preschool and kindergarten enrollment is right around the corner! We will have more information available for families who will be registering for our preschool and kindergarten programs soon, but we wanted to share these dates ahead of time. Preschool enrollment opens April 1, 2026 Kindergarten enrollment opens April 27, 2026   Join Our ParentSquare Groups! VBCSD offers public and community groups with information available. Choose to join these groups to receive notifications when new updates are posted, or simply click on the group at any time to view the information. Community Events and Flyers Distribution of area events and flyers. This is a public group and families are welcome to check the content at anytime. Joining the group will alert you when new information is posted. Groups Available to Our Community Community Newsletter This newsletter is open to all community members and includes the same information sent monthly to VBCSD families. Vandalia-Butler Athletics This group is open to all community members and families of VBCSD and includes regular updates about athletic accomplishments and schedules. *NEW* Vandalia-Butler Delays and Cancellations This is a new group for any community member to receive notifications when Vandalia-Butler is either closed or delayed due to weather or other circumstances that are not already part of our planned District calendar. Parents who currently have students in the District do not need to join this group, as they will continue receiving the information automatically; however, this would be beneficial for babysitters, grandparents, etc. who may care for students and do not have a ParentSquare account.   District Website Our District website is regularly updated with important information. Below are quick links: Board of Education Calendars District Website Food Service/Menus ParentSquare Information PaySchools Central PowerSchool Information Transportation   Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. March 12 | End of the Third Grading Period March 13 | No School | Staff Report Day March 14 | Under the Dome Planetarium Show; 7 p.m. @ Smith Intermediate School March 16 | Beginning of Fourth Grading Period March 17 | Regular Board of Education Meeting; 8:30 a.m. @ BOE Office | Youth in Government Day March 18 | District 2-Hour Early Release March 30-April 3 | Spring Break April 1 | Preschool Registration (more details to come) April 27 | Kindergarten Registration (more details to come) GRADUATION | May 17; 2 p.m. @ Student Activity Center   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Tuesday, Feb 24 2026

January District Newsletter

  A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary Each January, we celebrate School Board Member Recognition Month. I want to give a special thanks and shout out to our Board of Education. We are blessed to have 5 dedicated school board members who have no personal agendas, but rather, all share one common interest, and that is to see the success of our school system. While they all come from different backgrounds and perspectives, and approach problems in different ways, they are all very thoughtful in their approach. Most importantly, they all love this school district and support our students and staff and, with that, work with me and Mr. Shumaker to do our best to make decisions in the best interest of our students and community. Please join me in thanking these very dedicated public servants!   We are off to a great start in 2026 and the 2nd half of this school year. As I have been discussing, I will continue to use this column for monthly updates on the District Strategic Planning process and key data we are acquiring and will be using for the strategic plan.     One key data point is enrollment. Enrollment impacts student programming, staffing levels, and finances. It also impacts building capacities. In early January, we held a joint meeting with the Vandalia City Council, Butler Township Trustees, and our School Board. The meeting was a great highlight to all three of our entities working together and focusing on issues of common interest. At this meeting, I shared our enrollment projections over the next ten years. Because of proposed residential developments in the City and Township, we had the study report on enrollment projections with and without the proposed developments.    Without going into all of the metrics, we hired consultants who have expertise in this area to conduct the study. Some key components of the data are birth rates, population trends, and our student enrollment trends over the past ten years. The study concludes that while the state is showing a declining population and our region is also showing a declining population, our school district is projecting a subtle increase in enrollment with and without new residential development. One key reason for this is a ten-year historical trend of increasing student enrollment in every single grade level in our district except from 10th - 11th grade. The reason for that is because of students who attend the Miami Valley CTC. While they are still VBCSD students, they don’t count the same for us as they do when they physically attend Butler High School, so we show a decrease at that level.   Below you will see the projections of enrollment with and without residential development. As the chart shows, our anticipated growth without residential development over the next ten years is 207 students over 13 grade levels. That is essentially 20 more students per year and spread out over 13 grade levels equates to a little more than 1 student per grade level per year, on average. Our anticipated growth with residential development is 457 students over 13 grade levels over the next ten years. That is nearly 46 more students per year and spread out over 13 grade levels is a little more than 3 students per grade level per year, on average.  As I shared at the meeting, too much growth, too fast, can be very problematic. But based upon this information, we feel this growth is a good thing for our district and will help us programmatically and financially, among other positive benefits (to view letters of support sent to the city and township for housing development, click here).    This data is important for us as we head into this strategic plan process. Next month, I will share information about our facilities assessment that we are completing. This information will show what it takes to keep our buildings safe, warm, and dry for the next ten years.    We are excited to continue to collect feedback in the strategic plan process. In January, we completed most of our focus groups and will soon be putting out surveys for feedback from parents and the community in February.     As we head into February, we are one month closer to spring! But even when it’s cold, it’s always a great time to be an Aviator! God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools   We are more than halfway through the school year! Students began the third grading period on January 20. Boonshoft Visits Demmitt Demmitt students enjoyed a visit from Boonshoft and enjoyed rotating through hands-on science stations.   Helke Donuts with Grownups Helke students enjoyed visits from loved ones for their annual Donuts with Grownups.   School Board Appreciation Month January is school board appreciation month. During our January Board of Education meeting, our board members were recognized for their outstanding service, genuine care for our community, and commitment to our district. Superintendent O'Leary commented, "Not only are they outstanding board members, they are outstanding human beings. They care about our community, students, and school district."   Board Members Administered Oath of Office During the January organizational meeting, three Board of Education members were sworn in to begin a new term. Congratulations to Scott Fullam, Holly Herbst, and Mary Kay Smith. Goldsberry and Zawadzki Honored Hall of Fame members John Goldsberry and Coach Ray "Z" Zawadzki were recognized during a recent basketball game. Goldsberry's number 14 jersey was officially retired, and both Goldsberry and Zawadzki were applauded for their contributions to Butler basketball.   Hall of Achievement Congratulations to Phillip Spaugy, Arlene Setzer, and Julie Lewis Trick for being inducted into the Hall of Achievement. The three inductees were recognized for their dedication to public service, civic leadership and exceptional contributions to their community. Delays and Closures Each year, the District shares a letter with important information and procedures for delays and closures. The letter is available online by clicking here. More information is also available on our District website. ParentSquare is and will be our primary source of communication for any unplanned delays or closures; however, we will also share the information on our District website, social media pages, and local news outlets. A recent note shared with families about temperatures: The winter weather so far this school year has definitely kept us on our toes, and decisions about whether to remain open, delay or close are never taken lightly. Our district has guidelines in place when it comes to weather-related decisions including road conditions, snow accumulation, wind chill, building readiness, parking lot conditions, etc. These parameters are outlined on our website and help provide consistency and ensure safety when making decisions.  As we are heading into some cold conditions, cold mornings alone don’t always mean a delay will happen. We will continue to monitor conditions and will notify you as soon as possible of any delays or cancellations.  The parameter outlined on our district website for cold weather includes: Wind chills at or below -15°F during key walking and waiting-for-bus times are given special consideration.    Transportation New Scanning Devices As we have mentioned in previous newsletters, devices are being installed on each of our buses that will allow students to scan on and off their bus. The devices will be an efficient way for our drivers to take attendance and provide parents with reassurance that their students are indeed on the correct bus. When parents log in to My Ride K-12, they will also see when students enter and exit the bus. The scanning devices have been installed and our staff is currently finishing the necessary training. We have begun to pilot the scanning program to ensure a smooth transition for all families. When students return from break, we will begin a phased rollout and will distribute cards by bus and by building. If you have children in multiple buildings, it is possible your children will receive their cards on different days.   Join Our ParentSquare Groups! VBCSD offers public and community groups with information available. Choose to join these groups to receive notifications when new updates are posted, or simply click on the group at any time to view the information. Community Events and Flyers Distribution of area events and flyers. Groups Available to Our Community Community Newsletter This newsletter is open to all community members and includes the same information sent monthly to VBCSD families. Vandalia-Butler Athletics This group is open to all community members and families of VBCSD and includes regular updates about athletic accomplishments and schedules. *NEW* Vandalia-Butler Delays and Cancellations This is a new group for any community member to receive notifications when Vandalia-Butler is either closed or delayed due to weather or other circumstances that are not already part of our planned District calendar. Parents who currently have students in the District do not need to join this group, as they will continue receiving the information automatically; however, this would be beneficial for babysitters, grandparents, etc. who may care for students and do not have a ParentSquare account.   District Website Our District website is regularly updated with important information. Below are quick links: Board of Education Calendars District Website Food Service/Menus ParentSquare Information PaySchools Central PowerSchool Information Transportation   Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. February 14 | Under the Dome Planetarium Show; 7 p.m. @ Smith Intermediate School February 16 | Presidents' Day - No School February 17 | Regular Board of Education Meeting; 5:30 p.m. @ BOE Office February 18 | District 2-Hour Early Release   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Wednesday, Jan 28 2026

December District Newsletter

  A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary As we head into the Christmas break, I want to share with you a few updates related to the strategic plan. In December, the administration and board, in separate sessions, worked with our consultant to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats we see that will impact our strategic planning. This data will help frame the student, parent, staff, and community focus group sessions and surveys that will occur in January/February. Feedback from these groups and surveys will be used to help develop the goals and strategies of the plan.     In January, we will share some of the data we feel is most impactful, with facilities, enrollment, and finances as these areas will definitely be a big impact on our academic and extracurricular programs.   At our opening day ceremonies with staff at the beginning of this school year, we chose the theme “forward together,” as we anticipated working through the strategic plan this year. We are excited to work with you in the development of the strategic plan and moving forward together.    On behalf of the board of education and our staff, I want to wish you all very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and a Blessed New Year ahead! I hope you all enjoy peace and love this season and through the new year. God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools   Students throughout the District worked hard and had fun during the three weeks leading up to our winter break. They made the most of their time by performing in concerts, volunteering throughout our community, hosting events, raising funds for local organizations and celebrating the holiday season with spirit. We hope you have a restful and enjoyable break, and come back to school in January ready to finish the quarter strong!     High School Happenings Lillian, Lorelei and Leila raised the bar with an excellent recap of everything happening at Butler High School with their December report to the Board of Education. Our three students represented the Academic Challenge team, and even more impressively, highlighted the many other teams and clubs they are involved in. We appreciated their great senses of humor and witty personalities as they spoke about what it's like to compete with Academic Challenge, and informed us of the recent blood drive, drama and arts updates, and the pep assembly. They even raised the debate on whether Die Hard is considered a Christmas movie when talking about being involved in Debate Club   Delays and Closures Each year, the District shares a letter with important information and procedures for delays and closures. The letter is available online by clicking here. More information is also available on our District website. ParentSquare is and will be our primary source of communication for any unplanned delays or closures; however, we will also share the information on our District website, social media pages, and local news outlets.   Transportation New Scanning Devices As we have mentioned in previous newsletters, devices are being installed on each of our buses that will allow students to scan on and off their bus. The devices will be an efficient way for our drivers to take attendance and provide parents with reassurance that their students are indeed on the correct bus. When parents log in to My Ride K-12, they will also see when students enter and exit the bus. The scanning devices have been installed and our staff is currently finishing the necessary training. We have begun to pilot the scanning program to ensure a smooth transition for all families. When students return from break, we will begin a phased rollout and will distribute cards by bus and by building. If you have children in multiple buildings, it is possible your children will receive their cards on different days.   Join Our ParentSquare Groups! VBCSD offers public and community groups with information available. Choose to join these groups to receive notifications when new updates are posted, or simply click on the group at any time to view the information. Community Events and Flyers Distribution of area events and flyers. Groups Available to Our Community Community Newsletter This newsletter is open to all community members and includes the same information sent monthly to VBCSD families. Vandalia-Butler Athletics This group is open to all community members and families of VBCSD and includes regular updates about athletic accomplishments and schedules. *NEW* Vandalia-Butler Delays and Cancellations This is a new group for any community member to receive notifications when Vandalia-Butler is either closed or delayed due to weather or other circumstances that are not already part of our planned District calendar. Parents who currently have students in the District do not need to join this group, as they will continue receiving the information automatically; however, this would be beneficial for babysitters, grandparents, etc. who may care for students and do not have a ParentSquare account.   District Website Our District website is regularly updated with important information. Below are quick links: Board of Education Calendars District Website Food Service/Menus ParentSquare Information PaySchools Central PowerSchool Information Transportation   Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. December 22 - January 2 | Winter Break January 5 | Board of Education Organizational and Regular meeting; 5:30 p.m. @ BOE Office January 10 | Under the Dome Planetarium Show; 7 p.m. @ Smith Intermediate School January 15 | End of Second Quarter January 16 | No School for Students (Staff Report Day) January 19 | No School; MLK Jr. Day   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Monday, Dec 22 2025

November District Newsletter

  A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary The months ahead are going to be very important as the District is beginning a new strategic planning process. The previous plan was highly successful. We extended the plan multiple times over the last five years due to working through the impacts of COVID and focusing on providing in-person learning during that timeframe, and then again as we have worked through financial constraints the last several years. The plans we implemented last year in the reconfiguration have worked out better than we anticipated, and we believe we are in a strong position as we plan for the future.  The main focus areas of the planning process will be academics and extracurricular/co-curricular activities and opportunities (naturally, these are the reasons we exist), finances, and facilities. Demmitt is nearing 70 years old, Helke and Smith are 55 and 56 years old, respectively, and the ‘new’ Morton is already nearly 15 years old, as are the renovations done at Butler High School within that same time frame. To address facilities planning, we are finishing up a facilities assessment that we will be sharing with our stakeholders. This assessment will show what it takes to keep all of the buildings safe, warm, and dry over the next ten-year period. We also are completing an enrollment study that will look at the next ten years, with an emphasis on the next five years. We asked the consultant to do a study with and without proposed housing developments that are being discussed and planned within the City and Township. Overall, the District is in support of these developments as they will provide slight enrollment increases over phases of time. (Click here to view the District’s letters provided to the City and Township). We will be sharing this data with stakeholders as well throughout the process.  The planning and feedback stages of the strategic plan will begin in December. In January, we will be working with the consultant to conduct student, staff, parent, and community focus groups and will also solicit more feedback through focused surveys. We anticipate the draft plan will be presented to the Board of Education for approval in April or May, with implementation beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. I will continue to update the District on the strategic plan development in the monthly newsletters as we work through the rest of the school year. We are very excited to develop and implement this plan. We have fought so hard through COVID and financial stress to maintain our strong programming; we look forward to making it even better. Please look to the rest of this newsletter for important updates, particularly the new attendance tracking system we will soon be implementing on our buses. We shared in earlier newsletters that this new feature will help us better track who is on our buses and we think it is a great new safety feature. We will begin implementing this in a few weeks. As we head into Thanksgiving, on behalf of the Board of Education, I wish you and your families a very blessed, relaxing, happy, and tasty Thanksgiving! God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools   Veterans Day Throughout our District, we celebrated Veterans Day with students, staff and special guests. We educated our students on the meaning of Veterans Day, participated in various patriotic activities and assemblies, and honored the men and women who have protected our great country and our freedom.    Each month, we recognize students, staff and at times, community members who go above and beyond. During the November 18 Board of Education meeting, we awarded an Aviator Achievement to Chetna Pithadia for earning the OMLA Support Staff of the Year award.   Aviator Achievement Chetna Pithadia was awarded the Ohio Middle Level Association Support Staff of the Year award. Each year, the OMLA honors a support staff member who fosters positive relationships with staff, students and parents. Mrs. Pithadia was chosen for this recognition out of all support staff members from across Ohio. If you have ever met Mrs. Pithadia, you know she always has a smile, goes above and beyond in everything she does, and brings so much positivity to Morton Middle School. Mrs. Pithadia was presented the award at the OMLA annual conference, and we recognized her for this achievement at our November board meeting.   Calendar Artists We recognized all the talented artists who had artwork featured in our annual District calendar with proclamations at the November Board of Education meeting. Our District calendar is available on our website, and we have additional copies available at the Board of Education Office.   High School Happenings Sophia, Gabriella and Sydney did an excellent job updating the Board of Education about High School Happenings. Among the many activities they are involved in, they specifically talked about their experiences with the Peer Tutoring Program. These three students are wonderful representatives and embody the importance of being involved and what it means to be Aviators.   Delays and Closures Each year, the District shares a letter with important information and procedures for delays and closures. The letter is available online by clicking here. More information is also available on our District website. ParentSquare is and will be our primary source of communication for any unplanned delays or closures; however, we will also share the information on our District website, social media pages, and local news outlets.   Transportation New Scanning Devices As we have mentioned in previous newsletters, devices are being installed on each of our buses that will allow students to scan on and off their bus. The devices will be an efficient way for our drivers to take attendance and provide parents with reassurance that their students are indeed on the correct bus. When parents log in to My Ride K-12, they will also see when students enter and exit the bus. The scanning devices have been installed and our staff is currently undergoing the necessary training. After Thanksgiving break, each student through eighth grade will receive an ID card in a badge holder that will attach to his/her backpack. Please do not remove the cards, as they will be needed each day for the new scanning devices. We will follow up again after Thanksgiving break with more information on this process. Our goal is to have students begin using the system the second week of December.   Join Our ParentSquare Groups! VBCSD offers public and community groups with information available. Choose to join these groups to receive notifications when new updates are posted, or simply click on the group at any time to view the information. Community Events and Flyers Distribution of area events and flyers. Groups Available to Our Community Community Newsletter This newsletter is open to all community members and includes the same information sent monthly to VBCSD families. Vandalia-Butler Athletics This group is open to all community members and families of VBCSD and includes regular updates about athletic accomplishments and schedules. *NEW* Vandalia-Butler Delays and Cancellations This is a new group for any community member to receive notifications when Vandalia-Butler is either closed or delayed due to weather or other circumstances that are not already part of our planned District calendar. Parents who currently have students in the District do not need to join this group, as they will continue receiving the information automatically; however, this would be beneficial for babysitters, grandparents, etc. who may care for students and do not have a ParentSquare account.   District Website Our District website is regularly updated with important information. Below are quick links: Board of Education Calendars District Website Food Service/Menus ParentSquare Information PaySchools Central PowerSchool Information Transportation   Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. November 26 - 28 | Thanksgiving Break December 13 | Under the Dome 7 p.m. @ Smith Planetarium December 16 | Board of Education regular meeting 5:30 p.m. @ Board Office December 22 - January 2 | Winter Break   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Monday, Nov 24 2025

October District Newsletter

  A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary The school year is off to a great success with many accomplishments already, and we are just through the first grading period. Our Homecoming Week was wonderful, which culminated with our annual District Pep Assembly. Our students have accomplished some great things as we have made strong tournament runs in sports and strong performances by our marching band.  Good luck to all our teams in post-season play and those moving on to state competitions. It never gets old to say - it’s a great time to be an Aviator! God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools   Good Luck at State! Our Marching Aviators competed at the Buckeye Invitational at THE Ohio State University in class A and qualified for the OMEA State Championship with a (1) Superior rating. They will compete at Piqua High School in the State Championship on Sunday, November 2. Good luck! More photos from this competition can be found on our district's website.   We had a wonderful Homecoming week! Students and staff attended our annual District pep assembly, where teams of all ages worked together and completed challenges. The B Squad led the District in school cheers, and Mr. O'Leary provided words of encouragement and played a special message from our very own hometown Aviator, Taylor Decker, who currently plays for the Detroit Lions. (Click below for his homecoming message to our Aviators) Our community's support and attendance at our homecoming parade and football game were amazing and extremely appreciated! Taylor Decker's Video Message   Cross Country STATE Qualifiers Congratulations to Cecilia, Jack and Rylan for qualifying for the OHSAA State Cross Country Championship! They will be representing our District at the state level on Saturday, November 1 in Columbus. The team is coached by Julia Morton and Andy White. Congratulations on this huge accomplishment!   Each month, we recognize students, staff and at times, community members who go above and beyond. During the October 6 work session meeting, we awarded Aviator Achievements to Haley, Alice and Debbie. Haley and Alice traveled to Hull, London, to represent Team USA in the World Martial Arts contest. Not only that, but they received high placements in Forms, Sparring, and Weapons. Haley earned 1 Gold Medal, 1 Silver Medal, and 4 Bronze Medals. Alice earned 4 Gold Medals, 2 Silver Medals, and 1 Bronze Medal. Mrs. Campise has been volunteering for over fourteen years in Mrs. Heis' classroom at Helke. We shared a heartfelt letter from Mrs. Heis and recognized Mrs. Campise for her years of service and dedication.   Delays and Closures Each year, the District shares a letter with important information and procedures for delays and closures. The letter is available online by clicking here. More information is also available on our District website. ParentSquare is and will be our primary source of communication for any unplanned delays or closures; however, we will also share the information on our District website, social media pages, and local news outlets.   Transportation Scanning Devices As we have mentioned in previous newsletters, devices are being installed on each of our buses that will allow students to scan on and off their bus. The devices will be an efficient way for our drivers to take attendance and provide parents with reassurance that their students are indeed on the correct bus. When parents log in to My Ride K-12, they will also see when students enter and exit the bus. We received an update that the scanning devices (previously on backorder) are on their way and will be installed in November. After a period of training for our drivers, we plan to begin using the devices in early December. Please look for more information on this in November. Safety Reminder Our drivers are trained to use clear hand signals to alert students when it is safe to cross. It is crucial for families and students to wait for the "all clear" sign from the driver to ensure traffic from all directions has stopped so students can cross safely. Please help us reinforce these key points at home: Wait for the driver's signal before crossing. Stay at least 10 feet in front of the bus when crossing (5 giant steps). Never walk behind the bus. Make eye contact with the driver to be sure they see you. Arrive early to your bus stop. Please contact us with any questions!   Join Our ParentSquare Groups! VBCSD offers public and community groups with information available when you want it. Choose to join these groups to receive notifications when new updates are posted, or simply click on the group at any time to view the information. Community Events and Flyers Distribution of area events and flyers. Groups Available to Our Community Community Newsletter This newsletter is open to all community members and includes the same information sent monthly to VBCSD families. Vandalia-Butler Athletics This group is open to all community members and families of VBCSD and includes regular updates about athletic accomplishments and schedules.   Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. October 23 | End of first grading period October 24 | No school for students/staff work day October 27 | Beginning of second grading period November 8 | Under the Dome 7 p.m. @ Smith Planetarium November 18 | Board of Education regular meeting/State of the Schools 5:30 p.m. @ Butler Lecture Hall November 19 | District 2-hour early release November 26-28 | Thanksgiving break   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Wednesday, Oct 29 2025

September District Newsletter

Wednesday, Sep 24 2025

August District Newsletter

District Newsletter August | 2025   A Message from Superintendent Rob O'Leary As we head into the start of the school year, I want to share an important message about a new security feature we will be using this year at Butler High School. I have been very open about my concerns about increased drug usage in teenagers, particularly marijuana. I have shared columns I have written in the Dayton Daily News with you. I have shared with you my concerns in these monthly newsletters (even as far back as 2022). This topic has also been a recent headline in local news, as Children’s Hospital is reporting serious concerns about cannabis poisoning in children, and recently the Governor discussed his concerns about drug use and problems associated with drugs and children/teens. As I am going into the ninth year as Superintendent of this great school district, I have seen a concerning rise in the usage of marijuana among teens. I handled 5 drug related discipline incidents the first year of my superintendency, all paraphernalia related. Last year, my eighth year, I handled 37. The alarming thing is students are bringing marijuana to school and attempting to use or are actually using the drug at school. This didn’t happen eight years ago. We now have students saying they don’t want to use the restroom because it occurs there frequently. We have students voicing frustrations about these issues. We are seeing concerning behaviors in students engaged in drug use.     We are a drug free school, and we will do everything we can to protect students from making harmful decisions and from disrupting the learning environment for others. Before this starts to be a much bigger detriment to our students and disruption to the learning environment, we are going to regularly have the presence of a drug dog in the school that will be under the direct supervision of one of our SSO’s (see column below with information about the dog) in addition to the increased vigilance we have used over the last several years to intervene and catch those doing this. The dog’s purpose is to increase detection and vigilance and hopefully be a deterrent to bringing drugs to school. It will certainly help us detect the presence of drugs and will lead to suspensions with recommendations for expulsions for those who bring drugs to school. The dog is highly trained and is safe to be around students as you will read in the article below. The protocols our SSO will use will be consistent with protocols used by law enforcement officers as they pertain to drug dogs. We will maintain training multiple times per month with our SSO and the dog. Our handler will instruct students and staff on how to conduct themselves around the dog. We have consulted with Chief Porter from Butler Township and Chief Sucher from the City of Vandalia, and they are supportive of what we are doing and will work closely with us.  I share this with you for two reasons. First, to encourage you to talk with your students, to be proactive and vigilant. Second, to be open with you about a problem we are facing and to work together with you to keep our students and campus drug free and protect the learning environment before this problem gets way out of hand.     As we look ahead to the last few weeks of summer break, I hope your summer has been wonderful so far and you make many happy and lasting memories these last few weeks. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school and to another successful school year ahead! God Bless You All! We are Aviators! Rob O'Leary Superintendent Vandalia-Butler City Schools   Meet Our Newest Safety Team Member We're excited to introduce the newest addition to our school safety team: K9 SSO Niko. Niko is a German Shepherd who will be working alongside one of our school safety officers to help keep our schools safe and drug-free.   Niko is highly trained, but also friendly, calm and experienced around children and adults. While his primary role will be to help detect the presence of drugs, he's also here to build positive relationships with staff and students, primarily at the high school.   You'll see Niko around the high school as school begins helping our SSO team and visiting with staff and students.   Purple Star Updates Our district has a strong Purple Star program where we support military-connected students. Join us for our annual Military Appreciation Night during the Friday, September 5 football game. We will have a special recognition during pregame at approximately 6:45 p.m. Purple Star families, watch for important information regarding this special event coming soon from ParentSquare! We are expanding our Purple Star program and would like to include students and families who have made or are making the transition to civilian life. Currently, our student information system accounts for active duty families. We would like to expand our program to include veteran families in our Purple Star activities. Complete this quick form and we will be in contact with you soon!     2025-2026 School Year Information We have begun updating our 2025-2026 school year information on the website. While we hope you are making memories and checking off bucket list adventures, we want to make sure you know where to look when you're ready to start planning for the new school year. The first day of school for grades 1-12 is Tuesday, September 2. Kindergarten will begin Monday, September 8. Preschool begins Wednesday, September 10. District Wall Calendars: Wall calendars featuring artwork from students across the district have been mailed to VBCSD families. If you did not receive a copy, please stop by the Board of Education office Monday-Friday between 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.   Meet the Teacher: Open House Events District Open House August 28, 2025 Butler: 5:30 - 7 p.m. Morton: 5-6:30 p.m. Smith: 4-5:30 p.m. Demmitt: 5-6:30 p.m. Transportation: 3:30-6:00 p.m. (The bus garage is located behind Morton Middle School) Helke Early Learning Center Open House September 8, 2025 (Note, this is also the first day of kindergarten!) Kindergarten: 7:45-8:30 a.m. Preschool: 5-5:45 p.m. (morning session) and 6-6:45 p.m. (afternoon session)   *NEW UPDATE* Transportation Our drivers return the week of August 18 to begin testing routes. Once our drivers have tested their routes, then we will open the portal for families to login and retrieve transportation information. Route information will be available by Monday, August 25. New this school year: Superintendent O'Leary referenced some upcoming enhancements to our transportation system in our last newsletter. With these enhancements comes an updated routing system and a new user experience for families to get routing information. To access the parent routing platform, follow these instructions: Go to myridek12.tylerapp.com Create an account by choosing "Sign Up" Enter your email, a password and your name Check your email and confirm your new account Log in and search for our school district: Vandalia-Butler City Schools Enter your child's six-digit student ID number Click on your student's profile to view transportation information Please note that the system is not available to begin creating accounts yet, so if you try to register early, our school district will not appear as an option. We will share a separate District transportation message as soon as the system is available with more information. IMPORTANT: Please check your bus route information the night before school starts. As families continue to enroll in our District, pick up/drop off and bus numbers may fluctuate.   *NEW UPDATE* Annual Agreements Our District utilizes PowerSchool for families to check grades and attendance. This is also where parents login to complete the required annual agreements and back to school forms. Beginning August 13, PowerSchool will be turned on and parents should login to make these important updates. Completed consents are required in order for Morton and Butler students to pick up their Chromebooks. If you have any trouble completing the online forms, please contact your building secretary. Note - Student schedules in PowerSchool are not yet available. Our building principals will notify you when schedules become available.   Supply Lists Our supply lists are available online and also linked below. Please contact your building secretary with any questions. Helke-Kindergarten Demmitt Demmitt Intensive Needs Unit Smith Morton Preschool: Preschool students should bring a backpack large enough to hold a 9x11.5" folder. Additional supplies will be provided. Butler: Because of the various class offerings provided at Butler, our staff will communicate supply needs as classes begin. It is recommended that students begin the school year with basic supplies such as a notebook, pen/pencil, folder, etc. until specifics are provided by their teachers.     Spirit Wear Now is the perfect time to stock up on Aviator spirit wear! Our athletics department offers an online store that is open year round, and orders are shipped directly to your doorstep. Choose from several designs, colors and brands. Click here to visit our spirit wear store.   ParentSquare: New School Year Updates Our annual grade level rollover is complete and students' new grade levels for the 25-26 school year should display. If you notice your permissions have changed or you have trouble accessing the system, please contact PR/Communications Coordinator Mary Stephens.   IMPORTANT: EZ Pay Change Our district transitioned from EZPay to PaySchools Central on July 1. The company who manages both platforms has been phasing out EZPay and finally discontinued EZPay at the end of June. The transition should be seamless for our families. Here are a few important things to know: When you attempt to log in to EZPay, you will receive a notice that it is closed and no longer available. There will be a link that will redirect you to PaySchools Central (or go directly to the new site using the link). Select the "Register" option and complete the registration process. The first time logging in, you will be prompted to complete security questions, add our district and connect your student(s). *Note - you will need your student's ID number which can be found in Power School, on report cards, etc. PaySchools Central offers an app for iPhone and Android users. Visit their website for links to each. If you currently use the auto-replenish feature, it will not be automatically activated in PaySchools Central until you log in and adjust your settings in the user menu. Any balance in your EZPay account will be reflected in your new PaySchools Central account. There is a $10 minimum for each transaction/addition of funds into your account. This minimum is to help reduce transaction fees incurred by the district. For support, please call or email PaySchools Central: Email: psc_help@payschools.com Phone: 1-877-393-6628   2025-2026 School Year Calendar The 2025-2026 school year calendar was approved during the regular Board of Education meeting on March 18. School calendars are available on our website.   Athletics Games: Ticket Info For a breakdown of athletic pass and single game information, please click here. Online tickets and season passes are available for purchase by visiting our ticketing website. For any questions related to athletic passes, please contact Connie Korber at 415-6384. VBCSD offers FREE passes for adults age 62+ who live within the Vandalia-Butler City School District limits. Passes are valid for all regular season home athletic events, plays, and musicals. To receive your complimentary pass, please bring a valid ID to the Board of Education office (500 S. Dixie Drive). Our office is open M-F from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.   Mark Your Calendars Calendar events are also listed on our website. Visit our district calendar hub here. August 28 | District Open House Night August 25-29 | Staff Work and PD Days September 2 | First Day of School (Grades 1-12); BOE Work Session 5:30 p.m. @ Board Office September 8 | First Day of Kindergarten September 10 | First Day of Preschool September 16 | BOE Regular Meeting 5:30 @ BOE Office September 17 | District 2-Hour Early release (Does not include preschool)   District Annual Notices Each school year, districts are required to provide notice of various policies. Please click here to visit our annual notices page on our website.   We are Aviators! 500 S. Dixie Drive Vandalia, OH 45377 937-415-6400 Vandalia-Butler City Schools

Thursday, Aug 14 2025